I Became the Tyrant of a Defense Game [EN]: Chapter 402

Swish, swish, swish!

The boat cut through the water, changing direction.

The sewers were connected to various parts of the Lake Kingdom, and the Sword Demon and Spear Demon skillfully steered the boat, making a large detour.

“There’s a place where the water always flows backward during floods.”

“We’ll return to the depths of the Lake Kingdom through there.”

Well, to be honest, it’s all dark, and the direction keeps changing so drastically that I can’t tell if we’re going up or down, or if this is right or left…

Anyway, there’s nothing else I can do on this boat, so I trusted the two thugs and stayed quiet.

And, after drifting through the darkness for a long time-

Splash!

The water shot up high, and suddenly the boat was thrown into the air.

Even as I was terrified, I quickly looked around. It was a somewhat familiar place.

“This is…”

Skyscrapers soaring high, soaked in the rain… and the darkness undulating like waves…

“…The fountain plaza in the center of District 10!”

We had truly returned to the deepest part of the Lake Kingdom.

“Nailed it!”

“This fountain is where the sewage water always flows backward during floods!”

Indeed, the fountain, which had been spouting clear water just a few days ago, was now filled with black sewage water flowing backward.

No, even so. I thought the fountain was disgustingly large, but I never imagined it would be big enough for a rowboat carrying five people to pop out of it…!

“This fountain was a place that showcased the Lake Kingdom’s magical prowess. It was a place where sewage was pumped up, purified, and sprayed using purification magic.”

“But in a world where everything is submerged in murky water like this! Even that fancy purification magic can’t hold up, and the fountain in front of the palace can’t help but stink like a sewer!”

“When the world is in this state, wouldn’t slaves and royalty all smell the same?”

“Heh heh, that’s why you’re as beautiful as a queen!”

“Oh my, this old man is being a nuisance again!”

The two thugs chatted leisurely as they landed the boat next to the fountain.

The flood seemed to have reached its peak, as black rain was pouring down from the sky almost like a downpour. The area around the fountain was a complete mess.

“Ptoo, ptoo.”

I got up, spitting out the rainwater that had gotten into my mouth.

I hope this isn’t acid rain? No, it feels worse than acid, actually.

《…Your Highness.》

At that moment, Mason called out to me in a slightly tense voice. Why?

Mason pointed with a fierce look towards the far side of the street, and I frowned when I looked in that direction.

A white smiling mask.

The army wearing those masks—the Nightcrawler unit—was approaching us, wearing raincoats.

The white faces floating in the downpour were quite eerie.

We five tensed up and prepared for battle, but soon realized that the opponents were not normal.

The Nightcrawler unit members were all staggering as if they were injured, and some even fell down or face-planted while walking. What’s wrong with them?

Crown, who was at the front of them, came in front of me, breathing heavily. Only then could I realize why they were in this state.

His face, visible inside the mask, was covered in red rashes, and his body, visible through his clothes, was turning black.

They had been infected.

By Raven’s plague.

“Where are you going, Ash…?”

Crown asked with difficulty.

There was no need to beat around the bush. I answered simply.

“To kill Raven.”

“…”

Swish, swish, swish-

Only the sound of rain hitting the ground was loud in the black, dead city.

Crown, who had been staring at me intently, coughed violently once, then slowly straightened his body. And said.

“I will cooperate.”

“…!”

“Right now, that guy is indiscriminately spreading the plague inside the kingdom… All the monster legions have holed up in their bases, and my subordinates and I tried to stop it, but we’ve already been infected.”

Crown gripped his mask with his hand, which was trembling.

“The pain of the flesh rotting is bearable, but the melting of the mind… it’s hard to endure…”

“You’re moving pretty well for someone who says that?”

I almost lost my mind and died in a hallucination the moment I got infected. These guys are staggering, but they’re still walking well.

Then Crown smiled bitterly from inside his mask.

“Since every day is hell anyway, even if his plague melts my mind and shows me more hellish hallucinations… it’s not something I can’t endure. It just gets a little more terrible.”

He was putting on a brave face, but even as we were talking, Crown’s subordinates were collapsing one by one.

“…We need to hurry. Explain the plan.”

Crown gestured to me. I opened my mouth.

“The key to attacking Raven is always the same. We have to directly attack his main body.”

“But we don’t know where his main body is wandering right now.”

“That’s right. So… we just need to make it so he has no choice but to come to us.”

I explained my plan to everyone.

While listening to my plan, not only Crown and the Nightcrawler unit, but also my party members had expressions of disbelief.

Yeah. Just hearing it, it’s a bewildering plan that makes you wonder if it will even work.

But I am the great human strategist who has defeated four Nightmare Legion Commanders so far.

My past achievements prove it.

In this world, there is no commander who kills Nightmare Legion Commanders as well as I do, and there is no hunter as skilled in dealing with them as I am.

When my explanation of the plan was over, Crown let out a long sigh.

“Absurd. With something like that, that Raven…”

“Are you not going to follow it?”

At my question, Crown glanced towards the city.

“Do you know, Ash? The King of Kings never interferes in the infighting between monsters.”

“…”

“And right now, in the face of Raven’s rampaging plague, the entire Lake Kingdom is being infected, but the other Nightmare Legion Commanders have hidden in their bases, not wanting to suffer unnecessary damage.”

Crown looked at me again.

“So, the only person who can actually kill Raven… would be you.”

I’m glad this guy is quick on the uptake.

Crown nodded heavily.

“Okay. I’ll follow that plan. When do we start?”

I grinned.

“Right now!”

***

In the pouring rain, Raven’s consciousness was hazy.

If he was ‘the one who wields the plague’ before, now he had become ‘the plague itself.’

Having lost both body and soul, all that remained was a self that wandered aimlessly.

Only a raging fury.

Hot air rushed over the cold, dead city, and following Raven’s will, the polluted atmosphere swirled, slowly rotting everything around it.

Thump! Thump…!

Buildings with rotted pillars collapsed sideways in a row like dominoes.

《This isn’t it…》

Standing among the collapsing ancient towers, Raven spat out in an unclear pronunciation.

《This isn’t it…》

This Lake Kingdom was destroyed five hundred years ago. It has been hell for a long time already.

No matter how much you rot and melt this place, the plague will not be effective. It’s like dropping a few drops of ink on black paper.

《I… need to rot a world where people are alive…》

So, yes.

Let’s go outside.

Not to this hell under the lake, but to the bright world.

Let’s pour hell onto the daily lives of vibrant humans who are happy under the sunlight.

Because, the reason he became the Plague Lord is…

《…Huh?》

Raven let out a momentary dumb groan.

What was it?

Why did he start researching rot?

There was a time when he was an ordinary human, an ordinary doctor. There was a time when he enjoyed a peaceful daily life like everyone else.

But, why…?

How did it… turn out like this?

《It doesn’t matter.》

Raven moved his grotesque, seething smog-like self and slowly began to head towards the surface—towards the main gate of the Lake Kingdom.

Yes, what does the past matter? Let’s be true to instinct now.

If he goes a little north, there is the world of humans.

《Crossroad, was it…?》

He heard it was a small city, but there would be quite a few lives to kill and rot.

He didn’t get permission to mobilize from the King of Kings, but now the King of Kings doesn’t matter anymore. It’s enough if he can just rot something that’s alive.

Because…

Because… the reason he became the Plague Lord is…

《-Ugh?!》

At that moment. Raven suddenly sensed something and stopped.

His dark form, which had been heading towards the surface, turned sharply backward.

《…What is this.》

His consciousness was staring at District 10, the deepest part of the Lake Kingdom—where his base was located.

《Could it be…?!》

***

Lake Kingdom District 10. ‘The Farm.’

Because everything was melting, rotting, and collapsing, this place, which was more like a ground zero than a farm, was where-

Flap-!

I planted a flag.

“I declare this land…”

At the same time, I declared.

“…as territory of the Empire!”

Whoosh!

Magic power flowed out of my body, forming a gray fortress in the area.

It was a crude flag made of a crude iron rod with just any cloth attached, but there was no problem using [Imperial Territory Declaration]. I grinned.

[Imperial Territory Declaration] has a ‘territory war’ declaration function along with this magic fortress formation.

If you win this ‘territory war,’ you can forcibly take control of the area.

So, if I use [Imperial Territory Declaration] in Raven’s base and force it into a territory war state.

Raven, the owner of this farm, will definitely know that an intruder has arrived here.

And he will naturally realize that I am the only one who would do such a thing.

Then, no matter where he is outside the world right now-

《Ashhhhhhh-!》

He will have no choice but to return.

To protect his territory.

And to kill me.

It wasn’t long before Raven appeared. He still looked like a squirming, gruesome mess.

《You ran away like a rat, but you dare to come back! And to my farm! How dare you!》

“It’s a bit rich coming from someone who’s herding rats around…”

Indeed, behind the guy who was squirming and flying like black smog, there were rats, insects, crows… that had been half-melted and were following him like jelly. It was quite hideous to look at.

《If you come into my hands on your own, I’ll be grateful…》

Raven gathered his strength while hovering in the air, then,

《I’ll rot you all to dust, Ash-!》

Whoosh!

He flew towards me, towards my gray fortress, scattering stench and hostility.

“As planned, Crown!”

I gestured to Crown, who was standing on the fortress wall in front of me.

“Buy me time!”

“Damn it, is this my role after all…”

“You joined knowing this, right? Now, hurry!”

Crown cursed, but still leaned forward and put a gray flute to his lips.

Peep-!

The flute in Crown’s mouth emitted a high-pitched sound.

As the flute sound echoed, the rats, insects, and crows that had been following Raven suddenly started attacking him instead of following him.

It was the first time in a while that I saw ‘Pied Piper’ Crown’s battle. The ability to forcibly control monsters with his will.

However.

《You vermin, you don’t know the grace of being taken in!》

Splat!

The monstrosities that had rebelled against Raven were all melted into blood in the next moment. Even though they were once his limbs, Raven was merciless.

After finishing the cleanup, Raven emitted a thick poisonous fog and charged straight towards us again.

In an instant, Raven’s black smog-like form crossed the fortress wall.

“Block him with your bodies-!”

Crown shouted and threw himself forward first, followed by the Nightcrawler unit colliding with Raven with their bodies.

Splat-!

Well, I don’t know if you can call it a ‘collision.’

The members of the white smiling mask unit were swept away by the plague, their skin rotting, their bones melting, and blood pouring out of every hole in their bodies.

But, as expected of the immortals.

They endured the pain that no ordinary human could withstand, and they stood their ground, while Raven laughed maniacally and carefully crushed them one by one.

《Good! Stand there! Endure for even one more second! That way, I’ll feel like I’ve cultivated the rot properly!》

Watching this gruesome scene, I took a deep breath.

What I’m about to use now is a special gimmick that can only be used once against Raven.

If I use it when it’s not a sure kill chance, I’ll just waste the gimmick, and killing Raven will become a distant and difficult task… so I’ve been waiting for the right opportunity.

But now, there’s no need to hold back.

Just before Raven’s black form grabbed Crown by the collar and was about to inject poison into Crown’s lips-

I gathered my strength and said-

“-I solemnly swear to dedicate my life to serving humanity.”

Then,

Thud.

Like a lie, Raven’s movements froze.

My party members, who were on standby around me, tense, the Nightcrawler unit members, who were dying covered in blood, and even Crown, who was grabbed by the collar by Raven,

Everyone in this place stopped, clearly, to the point that they were all bewildered.

But the most bewildered was Raven himself.

He stopped still as if he didn’t know what was going on, then turned his smog-like body towards me and muttered dumbly.

《Huh?》